IFTM President Dr. Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan discusses the importance of internationalisation to higher education, and how in the post-COVID-19 era the Institute is rapidly resuming – and expanding – its international cooperation initiatives
The 2023/2024 study period is the first full-length academic year since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, meaning we at IFTM have been able completely to resume our international cooperation initiatives.
We are particularly excited with our dual-degree programmes. We have forged partnerships involving several of Switzerland’s top tourism and hospitality education institutions – rated among the best in the world – in order to offer ‘3+1’ dual bachelor’s degree programmes. Another example of the commitment to providing students with the best-possible educational opportunities is our ‘1+1 Dual Master’s Degree Programme’, launched with The University of Queensland, in Australia.
We are also fully resuming this academic year our offer of internship opportunities across the world, as well as a wide range of exchange programmes in a variety of overseas higher education institutions.
Nonetheless, at IFTM we believe the process of internationalisation starts at home. Having significant exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking is critical to success in the tourism and hospitality industry. As COVID-19 is now behind us, we are reaccelerating our recruitment drive to attract additional top international scholars, as well as more overseas students – either for exchange programmes or as full-time students at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
We at IFTM are also paying close attention to how digitalisation and ‘big data’ are changing tourism and hospitality, trends that were accentuated by the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. We are putting forward this academic year postgraduate programmes in Digital Marketing and Analytics, including a Master of Science.
In addition, we are introducing a Master of Philosophy in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, with several specialisations. The programme is crafted to enable students to develop research capabilities and analytical skills in matters related to tourism and hospitality.
The World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF called the COVID-19 pandemic the “worst education crisis on record”, as it disrupted education systems worldwide, with higher education internationalisation being particularly hard hit. As part of our reopening to the world in the post-COVID-19 era, we are doubling down on efforts to promote student mobility and create new internationalisation opportunities. Learning from the pandemic experience, the team at the Institute is working on reconceptualisation of international education in diverse ways, with a strategic mission of ensuring the best experience for each and every one of our students.
